Samsung is relatively new to the notebook market, though the company is widely known for their vast array of consumer electronics ranging from televisions to cell phones. In 2008, they made a smart move by making their first entry an netbook, then making the Samsung NC10 an instant favorite due to the excellent keyboard and record-setting battery life. Since that time we’ve been consistently pleased with the subsequent netbooks and notebooks we’ve seen.

In our continuing You Grade the Brands series, we’re taking a look back at a year’s worth of Samsung notebook reviews to identify which strengths and weaknesses we’ve observed overall to give consumers some guidance on where to begin their search for the perfect laptop. We’ve also factored in the data we collected for our Tech Support Showdown.

So how does Samsung stack up? Read on to see our take on the vendor’s strengths and weaknesses and the 2009 review scorecard below. Then sound off in the comments and tell us what you think of the brand and about your own experience with your Samsung notebook or netbook. Without your input, our report card will be incomplete.

Strengths

• Battery Life: Samsung distinguished itself early in the netbook market by offering a system that lasted over 6 hours on a charge, setting a new high bar for other vendors to meet. Early in 2009 new netbooks and notebooks continued this legacy with strong battery life performance and, in some cases, topping the original NC10. We were surprised to find that later systems didn’t continue the trend as the company chose to package their N140 netbook with a lower capacity battery than earlier models. Still, their top-of-the-line netbooks can be counted on to last.
• Keyboards: Another element that put Samsung’s early netbooks ahead of the pack was the excellent keyboard. Thankfully they rarely mess with a winning design, opting to put this same keyboard (with adjustments for size) on most of their notebooks. There have been a few exceptions, but no outright failures.
• Performance: Overall the company’s notebooks and netbooks can be counted on to perform well, which is a plus since the majority of their releases are netbooks. However, the notebooks can’t be discounted, especially taking the X360-34P ultraportable into consideration. The fast SSD helped drive its excellent performance scores and made this thin and light system a favorite.
• Multimedia: We praised the audio or speaker quality on several Samsung systems, which is notable because netbooks are notoriously saddled with mediocre speakers. The N140 particularly impressed us due to the inclusion of SRS Sound software to enhance the audio. Also, most of the models we reviewed last year had matte screens instead of glossy. This makes for better viewing out in the sun and eliminates distracting reflections. Though matte displays are sometimes dinged for duller colors when compared to glossy, Samsungs don’t have that issue. Users get great viewing angles, bright colors, and indoor/outdoor versatility without a quality sacrifice.

Weaknesses

• Mouse Buttons: The touchpads on the vendor’s systems are generally good, but we wish more of them would lose the single, narrow bar and replace them with two discrete left and right buttons. Making them larger would help, too.
• Less Selection Than Other Markets: Though Samsung has released a fairly wide range of netbooks to the American market, we don’t see many full-size notebooks. The only two we saw in 2009 were the Q320 and X360-34P, yet the company released more overseas. American consumers also see many of the systems Samsung offers long months after our European counterparts get their hands on them. We hope, going forward, that the company will give the American market a wider variety to choose from since we clearly like what we’ve seen so far.
• No Custom Configurations: Consumers don’t have the option to configure their perfect Samsung notebook online as they can with HP, Dell or Toshiba. We’re sure consumers would appreciate ability to choose a higher capacity battery for systems like the N130 and N140, especially since they’re available to those same models in other countries.
• Little Design Variation: Overall we like the look of Samsung’s laptops and have even called out a few for sleek or otherwise excellent design. However we wish that there was more variation amongst them. Netbook or notebook, large or small, the basic look is usually the same. We know Samsung is capable of creating a classy design; now we’d like to see it jazzed up a bit more often.

Review Report Card

We reviewed 10 Samsung notebooks and netbooks in 2009. Of those, 20% earned 3 stars, 20% earned 3.5 stars, a hefty 50% earned 4 stars. However, one system earned a low 2 stars: the version of the Samsung Go offered by AT&T Wireless. Three Toshiba netbooks and notebooks were awarded LAPTOP’s Editor’s Choice – 30% of the total.

Best Rated Notebooks

• Samsung N110
• Samsung NC20
• Samsung X360-34P

Worst Rated Notebooks

• Samsung Go from AT&T
• Samsung N130

Tech Support

Samsung received a good overall grade of B in our Tech Support Showdown. Samsung has a strong name in the consumer electronics space, but only started selling notebooks and netbooks to the U.S. market in 2008, therefore there isn’t yet data on their reliability over time.

Even though Samsung doesn’t have a long track record with notebooks, we’ve been impressed with their offerings thus far. The company took the many lessons they learned making a host of mobile devices and produced laptops that avoided many of the mistakes made by the competition. And based on what we saw at CES it looks like that this tradition will continue. We’re also hoping for more varied designs and for Samsung to regain the battery life crown.

Now It’s Your Turn

Do you own a Samsung laptop? Owned one in the recent past? What does Samsung get right and where does the company need improvement? Tell us how you’d grade Samsung and explain why in the comments.

A lot goes into your selection of a notebook: price, size, look and feel, functionality, and specs. What many shoppers don’t consider though is where to make their purchase: online or in a physical store.

Each approach has its pros and cons. A good brick-and-mortar retailer should let you test a notebook’s keyboard and screen (Best Buy does but Wal-Mart does not). However, online shopping is the ultimate in convenience. So how do you know which route to go? Does a retailer carry the same in-store stock as it does online? Which is cheaper? How do return policies differ?

What we found may surprise you.

Among our four samples, only one system (the Toshiba mini NB305) cost less online than in traditional stores. Note: identical notebooks may have different model extensions depending on the outlet. Search by the base model number (e.g., dv7 versus dv7-3079wm) or look for similar specs when comparison shopping.

Return Policies

Returned notebooks are generally subject to a 15 percent restocking fee. To return a notebook purchased online, you typically must pay for return shipping. Return policies for notebook retailers that also sell online (such as Best Buy or Wal-Mart) are virtually identical. However, the details vary from vendor to vendor, as do some other factors.

Amazon.com: Unopened notebooks can be returned within 30 days for a full refund. Opened notebooks may only be eligible for an 85 percent refund.

Best Buy: You must return a notebook in its original packaging with all materials included within 14 days of receipt (either in-store or by mail) for a full refund. A damaged product fee may be charged for missing contents.

Newegg.com: Return a notebook within 30 days of the invoice date for a replacement of the product or an equivalent item. Any LCD on a notebook must have a minimum of eight dead pixels to be declared defective.

Wal-Mart: Return a notebook with any included software in the original packaging within 15 days of receipt (in store with receipt or by mail) for a full refund.

Verdict

There are different advantages to in-store and online shopping. The former should allow you to go hands-on with a notebook in order to gauge its design and ergonomics, while online shopping allows for a wider selection, even if you wind up paying more due to shipping costs. The best option is to size up the competition in a physical store, then look at Web sites for both brick-and-mortar shops and online-only retailers for the best deal.

Every week, the staff here at LAPTOP evaluates numerous tech products and posts many insightful tech features and blog posts. If you haven’t been sitting in front of your browser with laptopmag.com open and hitting refresh a lot, here’s what you may have missed this week.

Reviews & Hands-On Posts

• Sony VAIO W Series Eco Edition (3 Stars) — Sony’s latest netbook sports an eco-friendly design and parent-friendly software, but we wish it had a larger keyboard.
• Dell Latitude Z600 (3 Stars) — This executive-class business system offers plenty of style and innovation, but it doesn’t provide much performance to offset its high price.
• Toshiba Satellite P505-S8010 (3.5 Stars) — Toshiba’s first 18-inch notebook with Intel’s Core i3 CPU features solid performance, an attractive design, and rich sound at a wallet-friendly price.
• Hands-on With The Simple but Brilliant Bccthis — This little app lets you tack on a private, BCC’d message that only some of the recipients of your main message can see. Likewise, with Twitter you can post a tweet to the masses, but then start a private direct messaging chain that will only be visible to select users.В  The idea is to save you the tedium of composing a public e-mail and a separate aside message, or a tweet followed by a direct message or group e-mail.

Features

• Best Mobile Startups 2010 – Whether it involves making notebooks sound better, streaming complex games from the cloud, or just keeping businesses more organized, these innovators have created stand-out concepts and products worthy of attention and praise. Don’t forget to take our poll and tell us which of these technologies and products excites you the most.
• Is Free Security Worth the Risk? — Bare-bones software offers pretty good protection from threats, but beware of the trade-offs.
• Tips: 5 Ways to Minimize Cell Phone Radiation — The debate over whether this is a major problem or just an urban myth rages on, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take steps to protect yourself.
• Mac OS X Snow Leopard vs. Windows 7 — Rivalries are, for better or worse, one of the defining elements of human existence. Those that participate in these long-running feuds typically push one another to produce their best work. Apple and Microsoft have tussled back and forth with snarky ad campaigns and CEO comments that have touted the value of their respective operating systems, butВ  in reality, Mac OS X and Windows have more similarities than ever before.
• E-Tailers vs. Retailers: The Pros and Cons of Shopping Online and In-Store — How do you know which route to go, online or in-store? Does a retailer carry the same in-store stock as it does online? Which is cheaper? How do return policies differ? What we found may surprise you.
• You Grade The Brands – It’s Samsung’s turn in the hot seat. Check out our list of the brand’s strengths and weaknesses and tell us how you’d grade Samsung netbooks and notebooks. Don’t forget to leave a comment as our report card won’t be complete without your input!

News

• Amazon vs. Macmillan — A week ago the behemoth online bookseller removed all titles published by Macmillan and its subsidiaries from both the Kindle and print stores over a dispute regarding the price of eBooks. Though someone from Amazon indicated that the company would “have to capitulate” to Macmillan’s terms, so far Amazon hasn’t reversed the ban. Click here to read what’s behind the struggle.
• iPad Honeymoon Over — Retrevo reveals that consumers were largely unimpressed with the iPad announcement, though their tune may change on launch. Maybe if they’d called it the iTablet… oops, too late. Since we all still have tablets on the brain, now is a good time for Google to tease us with some tablet concept photos. In other news, Fusion GarageВ  reiterated their promise to ship the JooJoo on time as they moved to dismiss the lawsuit against them.
• Will Tablets, MIDs, or Smartbooks Succeed? — Can’t get enough of tablets and MIDs and other ultra-mobile devices? Mark provides a detailed look into the pros and cons of these devices and his predictions on their chances of success in this week’s SpoonFed: Attack of the Tweeners.
• Down with the iPhone — As if the iPad thing wasn’t enough, there’s more bad news for Apple as iPhone Loses Market Share. Is the Jesus phone now the RAZR of smart phones?
• Google’s Nexus One Finally Gets Multitouch – A feature Android users have been clamoring for since the G1. The update activates multitouch in the browser, Maps, and photo apps. Of course, Dolphin already brought multitouch browsing to most Android phones. And even after this update we were still able to list 5 reasons why Dolphin is better than the default browser. Android fans have another reason to celebrate as the Motorola Devour is coming to Verizon with Motoblur and Google maps Navigation.

It’s that time of year again. Your W-2 and 1099 forms have come in the mail, you’ve gotten all your receipts in one place, and you’re just about ready to start doing your taxes. You don’t want to end up spending big money on an accountant so you need tax software. Fortunately, you won’t have to break the bank on that either because Amazon has great discounts on preparation programs.

The discounted tax prep programs include:

TurboTax 2009

• TurboTax Deluxe 2009 ($47.49): E-files both state and federal tax returns. (Buy It)
• TurboTax Premier 2009 ($65.54): Investment guidance and rental property deductions are offered in addition to the features found in the Deluxe version. (Buy It)
• TurboTax Home & Business В 2009 ($67.44): Includes all the features of В TurboTax Premiere plus help for self-employed workers. (Buy It)

H&R Block at Home 2009

• H&R Block At Home 2009 В Basic ($14.24): Prepare and e-file federal returns (not state). Import data from other financial software and automatically double-check your return for errors. Five free e-files included. (Buy It)
• H&R Block At Home 2009 Deluxe ($27.99): All the features of Basic with state return filing plus additional guidance for homeowners and investors. Also includes personalizedВ deduction advice for popular occupations. (Buy It)
• H&R Block At Home 2009 Premium ($42.74): Federal and state e-filing. All the features of Deluxe with additional tools for self-employed workers and rental property owners. (Buy It)

And when you file, don’t forget that you may be able to deduct your mobile tech purchases.